Do detox programs really work and how do they affect our health? Angela Donaldson consults two experts.
The question of whether or not we need to detox is a contentious one. While naturopaths recommend it, many doctors say that detoxing is unnecessary, arguing that the body’s detoxifying organs can deal effectively with a reasonable amount of fat, processed food and alcohol. We asked a doctor and a naturopath for their views to help you decide.
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DR BRIAN MORTON GP AND CHAIR OF THE AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION’S COUNCIL OF GENERAL PRACTICE.
I don’t believe special diets ‘eliminate things such as alcohol and saturated fats from the body. When we drink a little too much or have too much processed food, the body metabolises it. It filters the good from the bad and deals with the ‘bad’ with its detoxifying organs: kidneys, liver, skin, lungs and bowel. You don’t need a special detox diet to detoxify the body of an undesirable ingredient – you just need to stop having it.
Practitioners who recommend detoxing claim that things like drinking more water and taking certain supplements helps the body get rid of toxins, but there isn’t good enough evidence to indicate these things do anything to improve on our body’s natural cleansing’ mechanisms.
People say they feel and look better after a detox, but if the average person stopped drinking alcohol, ate more fruit and vegetables, ate fewer processed foods and harmful fats, they would feel and look better.
It’s hard to break the cycle of bad habits and that’s part of the attraction of detoxing: that you’re doing something active to change your habits. The goal for many people who detox is to lose weight and have more energy, but even if you do achieve these things with detox, the benefits will not be long-term because you blow any good effects as soon as you return to your bad habits.
You don’t prevent heart disease, diabetes or other lifestyle diseases by detoxing every six months and you don’t repair the damage of excess alcohol by not drinking for a week every few months. Detoxing implies you can do an occasional detox and carry on with your poor habits the rest of the time.
It can also be dangerous – some people end up malnourished or hyponatremic (dangerously low in sodium) from drinking too much water and not supplementing it with a normal diet. This can have serious, long-term health consequences, especially if you combine detox with heavy exercise.
If you are determined to detox, don’t fall for impressive promises of weight loss, and make sure you give your body good nutrition. If you under-nourish yourself while detoxing, it lowers your immunity.
“Our body is a miraculous organism. It is difficult to imagine a better designed ‘detoxing’ system than the one we naturally possess.
YES
ANGELA COUNSEL. A NATUROPATH AT THE AMBAA TREE CLINIC IN SYDNEY, HAS SEVEN YEARS’ EXPERIENCE GUIDING CLIENTS THROUGH DETOX.
Ideally, the body should be able to detoxify itself but we are bombarded with toxins from the environment: pesticides and chemicals in and on our foods, chlorine and other chemicals in our water. Our bodies weren’t designed to cope with the level of toxins we’re exposed to.
Many people suffer from ongoing fatigue, bloating, skin irritations and constant colds. Most orthodox doctors would look only for disease, and if the client’s tests come back negative, the doctor says there’s nothing wrong.
Often, people with these symptoms are out of balance because of poor diet and low nutrition. Their bodies are overloaded with toxins from their diet and the environment, and from an overgrowth of bad bacteria and candida in the digestive system.
A good detox is not just about cleansing the liver. It’s about correcting the diet, removing bad bacteria, repopulating the gut with healthy organisms, re-balancing the body’s pH levels, ensuring the kidneys are working effectively and supporting the body’s detoxification processes. This is known as an integrated detoxification.
Time and again I see the results of a good detox done with professional guidance. Often, an integrated detox gives people significant improvement in their general wellbeing. People who suffer from the previously mentioned symptoms and conditions such as low thyroid function, eczema and hormone imbalances often find their symptoms completely resolved.
Professional guidance is the key. Detoxes in kit form are potentially dangerous. Many focus only on the liver and should not be used if you are on medication.
Fasting detoxes are very stressful on the body and can cause more damage than they claim to prevent. To support your body through the detox, you need to have a healthy diet with a balance of protein, healthy carbohydrates and healthy fats.
Detoxes don’t need to be unpleasant, and if done correctly you shouldn’t experience more than minor discomfort for one or two days. A qualified practitioner can manage any side effects with dietary and lifestyle support.
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